Frederick james mitchell



(No Model.)

1J. MITCHELL, DISINFEGTING APPARATUS.

No. 442,073. l Patented Deo. Z, 1890.

' fectant.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK JAMES MITCHELL, OF

CASPER L. COIIN,

PATENT OFFICE.

NE YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO OF SAME PLACE.

DISINFECTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,073, dated December 2, 1890.

Application tiled April l l, l 8 90.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK JAMES MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sanitary Disinfection, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication.

My invention relates to the well-known germicide system for the sanitary disinfection of rooms, closets, sinks, dac. In such system a solution of suitable disinfecting material-such as chloride of zincis applied directly to the closet-bowl or other apparatus, and a solution, preferably of thymol, is intermittently sprayed into the room or closet by means of an atomizer or similar device. An obstacle to the perfect Working of this system has heretofore consisted in the difficulty experienced in supplying the disinfecting solution in the small quantity required at a constant and uninterrupted rate and of a uniform strength. The most satisfactory apparatus hitherto obtainable consisted of a receptacle containing the disinfectant in a solid form, through which Water Was allowed to pass on its Way to the point of application, the water in its passage through the apparatus becoming` impregnated with the disin- The object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus for sanitary disinfection, whereby the chloride of zinc or other disinfectant in a highly-concentrated liquid form may be substituted for the solid substance above referred to. To attain this object it is necessary that the apparatus should be of sucient capacity to operate without attention for some time, and yet be compact and easily accessible. These requirements necessitate the use of the disinfectant in a highlyconcentrated form, and consequently the rate at which it is fed must be very slow and at the same time regular and uninterrupted. For these reasons, also, an apparatus must be employed which will not become clogged by the liquid disinfectant.

To this end my invention consists in the Serial No. 347,523. (No model.)

provision of mechanism for feeding the concentrated disinfectant regularly and at the slow rate necessarily required Without clogging the apparatus, in combination with means for properly diluting the same and carrying the solution thus formed to the point of application.

It consists, further, in the combination of mechanism for producing the above result, with means for operating the atomizer or aerial disinfector which forms part of my in vention.

It consists, further, in the novel details of construction and t arrangement and combination of parts, herein shown and described, and speciiically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a view in elevation of the improved apparal tus I have designed to carry out my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View of the liquid disinfectant feeding device, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the valve controlling t-he flow of the water With which said disinfectant is diluted.

Similar letters of reference'are used to designate corresponding parts in all the views.

The au xiliary feeding-reservoir A is adapted to contain the liquid disinfectant, and the object thereof is to provide a suiiicient supply of the disinfectant to last for some time and at the same time to maintain a constant or substantially constant head or pressure in the reservoir B, which is provided with a spout l), ccnsisting of iibers of vitreous or mineral substances-such as spun-glass orasbestus-snrrounded by an elastic packing or Washer b. A screw-threaded follower b2 incluses said fibers,

and the inner end thereof, which rests against 1 said washer, is slightly concave, so that the Washer will be compressed or released, thereby increasing or diminishing the circumferential pressure of the washer on said fibers as the follower is screwed in or out. A receptacle C provided with an outlet-pipe c, lead-V IOO disinfectant, and the solution thus formed iiows through pipe c to the desired point of application; It is essential that the rate cf flow through the valve should be slow, and the conical end of the valve-stem d is therefore normally slightly off its seat, and I have obviated the clogging of the valve by sediment, ttc., due to the sluggishness of the normal rate of flow through it by providing mechanism for intermittently increasing' the area of the valve-opening, thereby flushing the valve-passage at intervals and preventing the retention of sedimentary deposits. This result I accomplish by providing the valve-stem d with arms d2, rigidly .connected thereto. A screw d3 or equivalent projection is secured to said arm, and as the arm is swungaround, in the manner hereinafter set forth, t-he projection d3 engages with a step d4 on the valve-bonnet, thereby lifting the valvestem and increasing the area of the valveoritice while the proj ectionis passing over said step. By the increased flow which results therefrom the valve-passages are completely flushed. As soon as the projection-d3 clears the step CZ* the Valve-stem is returned to its normal position by the action of springr d5, whichis confined between the collar d6 and the loose collar CV. A packing d8, preferably-of rubber or leather, prevents leakage around the valve-stem. The valve-opening may be increased or diminished in area, as desired,by simply turning the screw d3 in one direction or the other, so as to raise or lower the valve-stem d.

VAn atomizer E, of any usual construction, arranged to hold a solution of thymol or other disinfectant, is adapted to be operated by an air-compressing,- apparatus or pump, having the cylinder F, piston f, hollow pistonrod f', and spring f2, held between theA piston and the upper cylinder-head. The dischargetube c f the atomizer communicates with the apartment in which the apparatus is located, andthe air-supply tube c is connected by tube e2 with the hollow piston-rod. The lower end of the cylinder F is suitably connected,

as by rod f3 and chain f4, with the seat-cover or door of the closet or other movable object. The cylinder F is also furnished with a projection f5, adapted to engage with the lever G, which is pivoted at g, and the other end of which is operatively connected by rod g to arm d2.

The operation of the apparatus which I have .just described is as follows: The auxiliary reservoir A, which is closed at the top, is'tilled with a concentrated disinfectant in liquid form, and the mouth thereof is inserted inthe reservoir B, into which the liquid iiows and rises slightly above the mouth of the res ervoir A, thus sealing the contents thereof to the atmosphere. As the liquid in the reservoir B is in communication with the atmosphere-as, for instance, througlrvent Irs-the level of the liquid, and consequently the head thereof in the reservoir B, will remain substantially constant until the contentsof the reservoir A are exhausted. Under this constant head the liquid will pass through the iuterstices between the fibers composing the ,spout b and the receptacle C at a very slow but regularrate, and the spout will not become clogged, because the iuterstices between the fibers are so minute that any sediment in t-he liquid will not enter them. In the receptacle C the liquid disinfectant is diluted with water, which iiows uninterruptedly through the valve I), and the solution thus formed iows-continuously through the pipe c to the point of application. vlVhen the seat-cover, door, or other object to which the chain f4 is connected is moved in one direction, the cylinder F is moved downwardly, fillingA the cylinder with air, which enters through tube e e2 and hollow piston-rod f and enters the space beneath the piston. Then the cover or seat or other object is moved back again, the spring f2 forces the piston back to its original position, forcibly expelling the confined air through the tube c and putting the atomizer into operation, whereby a quantity of thymol or other disinfectant contained therein is sprayed into the apartment. In its downward movement the cylinder F; carries with it the end of lever G, which engages with the projection f5, and thereby swings the arm d2 over the step d, Then the cylinder F moves back, it carries the armcl2 back over the step. In this manner the valve D is thoroughly flushed every time the seatcover or other object is moved.

In some cases it may be inadvisable to use the aerial disinfector, in which case the arm (Z2 fmay be connected directly to the object by the movement of which it is desired to Hush the valve. In such case, ifinecessary the arm d2 may be arranged so as to be returned to its original position by a spring or weight connected thereto. The auxiliary reservoir A may also in some cases be omitted, if desired.

I do not claim herein the particular apparatus shown and described for regulating the flow of the liquid disinfectant or the particular apparatus described and shown for controlling the water-supply, as they form. the subject of and are separately claimed in my applications Serial No. 334,400, filed December 20, 1880, and Serial No. 343,734, filed March 13, 1890, respectively; but

lVhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isj 1. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of the reservoir B, provided with a spout composed of fibers of vitreous or mineral substance, the receptacle C, provided with a suitable outlet, and the valve D, arranged to deliver water to said receptacle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of the reservoir B, provided with a spout f, composed of fibers of vitreous or mineral substance, the packing b', the vfollower ICO IIO

b2, the receptacle C, provided with a suitable outlet, and the valve D, arranged to deliver water to the receptacle C, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination ot' the reservoir A, the reservorB, having a spout composed of fibers of a vitreous or mineral substance, the receptacle C, provided with a suitable outlet, and the valve D, adapted to deliver Water into said receptacle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a disinfeeting apparatus, the combination of the reservoir A, the reservoir B, having a spout composed of fibers of a vitreous or mineral substance, the receptacle C, provided With a suitable outlet, the valve D, provided With valve-stein d', arm d2, projection (Z3, step d4, and spring' d5, with an atomizer, an

air-forcing apparatus adapted to operate the same, and connections between the air-forcingapparatus and the arm (Z2, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a disinfecting,` apparatus, the combination of the reservoir A, the reservoir B, having a spout composed of fibers of a vitreous or mineral substance, the receptacle C, provided with a suitable outlet, the valve D, provided with valve-stem CZ', arm d2, projection cl3, step d4, and spring d5, said arm being adapted to be connected with some movable object of the nature described, substantially as and for the purposes described.

FREDERICK JAMES MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

S. G. METCALF, FRANK HEDDELL. 

